1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to labeling, and in particular to a container label which provides an overlapped excess portion which can be grasped and thereby used as a handle, and an apparatus for manufacturing such label.
2. Related Art
Various handle apparatus' have been provided in the prior art as an adjunct to articles such as bottles and other containers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,232 to Bergner et al. disclose a blown plastic container 2 and a supporting jacket 3 having a handle 5 for carrying the container. While the device of Bergner et al. is sufficient for providing an adjunct handle, e.g., one that is a separate construction from that of the bottle, such an arrangement is both expensive and complex in that it requires a separate manufacturing process in addition to the conventional bottle manufacturing/labelling process and requires further materials in addition to those required for the bottle absent the handle; Bergner et al. describe their jacket as being constructed of "cardboard or similar material."
U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,915 to Mattson discloses a lift-up handle which is attachable to a container such as a bottle (FIG. 6). Like the device of Bergner, Mattson's device is an adjunct which requires a separate manufacturing process. While Mattson's preferred embodiment is of a "polyethylene or similar polymer" construction, it is not a filmic polymer whose construction can be integrated into that of a conventional filmic bottle label.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,125 to Andel et al. disclose a label which has a "hanging ring" attached thereto for suspending a container to which the label is attached. The hanging ring in the device of Andel et al. is formed by die-cutting a portion of the label; the hanging ring portion is then separated by peeling it away from the remaining portion of the bottle.